Rail-joint.



PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

P. J. MILLER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED 00130, 1905.

Wii coco UNITED s'rA Es PATENT oEEioE.

PETER J. MILLER, oEMoUNTArNToP, PENNSYLVANIA.

"RAIL-JOINT Application filed October 30, 1905. Serial No. 285,131.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LPETER J. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mountaintop, in the county of Luzerne. and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ral-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a rail-joint of extremesimplicity of construction and of that'type designed to obviate the useof nuts andbolts, to afford a firm and substantial bearing for the railsat the point of,

juncturaand to prevent likelihood of rounding off of the rail ends,which gives rise to jar and vibration undesirable for many reasons.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereor and alsoto acquire a knowledge ofthe details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to thefollowing descriptionand accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view, dottedlines, showing most clearly the contour of the wedging angle-bar. Fig. 2is a vertical section taken on the line X,X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isavertical section taken on the line Y Y of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

In the practical embodiment of the invention the railends 1 are scarfed,as shown at 2, to afford a. continuous bearing for the wheels of therollingstock at the point where the. joint of the meeting ends islocated. Each of the, rail ends is cut away to afl' rd the scarfconnection before mentioned, and said ends overlap in a, mannerwhichwill be readily noted to accomplish the desired result. The jointmeans attaching the rail ends together embodies a chair 3, havingupwardly-extending flanges or wings 4 and 5 longitudinally thereof, theflange 4 being adapted to abut with the base portion of the rail ends atone side thereof to afford a lateral hearing at such side. The otherflange or wing 5 is not designed to directly engage the rail ends, butis in spaced relation thereto, cooperating with a wedging angle bar 6,adapted to be forced between said. flange 5 and the adjacent sideportions of the ends of the rails 1. The angle-bar 6 is composed ofvertical and horizontal portions 3 integrally formed in the accustomedway;

'end arranged to engage the u wing 5 and the adjacent side portion ofthe rails a wedging QGtIOII Will be obtained, so as to firmly clamp therail ends in the chair 3. The lower edge portion of the bar 6 is formedwith a foot 6, which operates between the angle formed by the'wing 5relative to the base of the chair 3 and the adjacent edge of the base ofthe rails. Thus the angle-bar 6 gets a double wedging action in regardto the lower and upper portions thereof to subserve the efficiency ofthe same in clamping the parts 1 to the chair 3. understood that theside of the chair 3 at which the angle-bar 6 is arran ed is so formedthat the space between the ange 5 and the rails will be'virtually'atapering seat to receive said member 6. l

The member 6 is revented from displacement from the chair b means ofspikes or vertical fastenings 7, w ich pass through the chair 3, throughthe wedging member 6, and enter notches 8 in the upper edge portion ofthe flange or wing 5. The openings in the bar 6, through which thespikes or fastenings 7 It will of course be pass, are elongated, so asto permit of adjustment of the member 6 after having once been placed.in position. The member 6 is prevented from movement by means of aset-screw. 9, which is screwed into a vertical opening in the wing 5 andwhich-has its lower foot portion of the said anglear 6. Should theangle-bar 6 become slightly loose due to vibration and jar of therolling-stock, it will be obvious that a blow or two upon an end of thebar 6, forcing the same more firmly into the chair, willreadily increasethe wedging action thereof and effectively clamp the parts as described.The set-screw 9 can then be adjusted so as to positively hold the memher6 in its proper position. Certain of the spikes 7 also pass verticallythrough the chair flange 4 thereof on the side of the rail opposite thatat which the angle- 3 and the'wing or bar 6 is disposed. Thespike-openings can be arranged as desired in order to secure the bestand most substantial attachment for the chair 3, and said spikes willpass into the ties of the road-bed in the customary way.

Having thus described the inventlon, what is claimed as new is- Arail-joint embddying the meeting ends of rails, the chair 3 therefor,the wing 4 projecting upwardly from one longitudinal edge of the chair 3and bearing against the rail ends at one side thereof, the wing 5projecting up per side of the Wardly from the chair 3 at the oppositeedge thereof and in spaced relation to the rail ends, the Wedging angle-'bar 6 wedged into the 'space between the flange 5 and the adjacent 5slde portion of the rail ends, the fastening's 7 passlng verticallythrough the chair 3 and =flange 4 on one side of the rail ends, thefastenings 7 passing through the chair 3, the flange.

5 and the angle-bar 6 at the opposite side of IO the rail ends andpreventing displacement of the angle-bar 6, the angle-bar 6 bein formedwith elongated openings through W ioh the of the angle-bar 6 to hold thesame 1n an ad justed position,- as specified In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER J. MILLER. [L.S.]

Witnesses: 1

R. E. KooNs, JACOB BUNG.

